An Early Lewis Gambit

I have been making my way through Louis Paulson A Chess Biography with 719 Games (2019) by  Hans Renette and discovered an early example of the Lewis Gambit - one of the openings that may have been an inspiration to Alonzo Wheeler Jerome to develop his gambit.

Paulsen, Louis - King, J. S.

offhand game, Pittsburgh, 1858

 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.d4 exd4 

The Lewis Gambit. The position can also arise from the Van der Lasa Gambit 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Bc4 Bc5

The earliest example I have found of the Lewis Gambit was played by Cochrane against Staunton in two of their match games in 1841. Both times Staunton responded with the stronger 3...Bxd4.

4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Qh5+ g6 6.Qxc5 

Instead, 6.Qd5+ was seen in Blackburne - Evelyn, blindfold exhibition, London, 1862 (1-0, 32). I always find this move humourous, as Jerome later incorporated his own "nudge" into the Jerome Gambit.

6...Nf6 7.Nf3 Re8 8.O-O Nxe4 

9.Ne5+ Kg7 10.Qxd4 Qf6 

11.Bh6+ Kg8 

If 11...Kxh6, 12.Ng4+ will win the Queen.

12. f3 Qxe5 13. Qxe5 Rxe5 14. fxe4 Re8 

Material equality has been reached, but White's superior development gives him a significant advantage.

15.Nc3 c6 16.Rf6 d5 17.Raf1 Nd7 18.Rf7 d4 

19.Rg7+

There was time to rescue the Knight with 19.Ne2, which was even stronger than the text, but White has things figured out.

19...Kh8 20.Rff7

Again, the Knight feels neglected, but White has the game firmly in hand.

20...Nf8 

21.Bg5 Re6 22.Ne2 c5 23.e5 b6 24.Nf4 Rc6 25.Nd5 Bf5 26.Nf6

The Knight is the final piece in the attack.

26...Rxf6 27.Bxf6 Ne6 

and White checkmated in 3 moves, 28.Rxg6+ Ng7 29.Rgxg7 any 30.Rxh7# 

Jerome Gambit: Simplicity Can Be Enough

One defensive idea for facing the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) is exchanging Queens - sometimes even at the cost of returning the sacrificed material.

In the following game, Bill's opponent simplifies things - he thinks. The resulting Queenless middlegame / endgame still has many dangers, including, in the end, checkmate.

Wall, Bill - Guest380145

PlayChess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+

 4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Bb4+  7.c3 Nc6 

This move has been faced by Jerome Gambit regulars such as chessmanjeff, frizerkaHR, HauntedKnight, jfhumphrey, PasChat, snthor and teterow but it appears that it is the first time Bill has seen it.

Black's method of returning some of the sacrificed material leads to a game where he has a slight edge.

8.cxb4 Nxb4

Quickly returning more.

9. Qb3+ Ke8 10.Qxb4 Qe7 

Holding things together, but Bill is willing to enter a Queenless middlegame a pawn up.

11.Qxe7+ Nxe7 12.Nc3 c6 13.O-O h6 

Black has arranged to avoid the cut-and-slash lines of the Jerome Gambit. He has given White an easy game to play, however - and, again, there is that extra pawn.

14.f4 Rf8 15.Bd2 d6 16.f5 b5 

To fianchetto the Bishop at b7, and possibly undermine the protection of White's center with b5-b4, but there will not be time for that.

17.g4 Bb7 18.e5 dxe5 19.dxe5 Rd8 20.Ne4 Nc8 

An awkward necessity to keep White's Knight out of d6. Possibly Black had anticipated the Knight fork of King and Bishop, and had planned to capture White's Bishop at d2 in return - but, say 20...c5 (an otherwise useful move) 21.Nd6+ and Black's King would be forced to d7, blocking the action of his Rook.

21.f6 g5 

If 21...gxf6 then 22.Bxh6.

22.Bc3 Rf7 23.Rad1 Rd5 24.e6 

Those pesky "Jerome pawns"!

24...Rxd1 25.exf7+ Kxf7 26.Rxd1 Black resigned

White is Rook up, and Komodo 10 says that he has a checkmate in 10 as well.

Bxf7+ Leads to Execution

The main idea behind 4.Bxf7+ in the Jerome Gambit and related openings is to checkmate the enemy King. Tactics are the key that lead to execution, as in the following game.

Guest5673273290 - Guest2514575685

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights Defense.

4.Bxf7+ 

Anyway.

The move seems to be growing in popularity. This game will help.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.e5 Qe8

According to The Database - which is somewhat incomplete on this line - this is a new move, although 7...Qe7 was seen at least as early as Philidor 1792 - guest1334, 3 0 blitz, 2014 (1-0, 20).

We have recently seen 7...Ne4.

8.O-O Nd5 

This is a reasonable move, although Stockfish 13 prefers 8...Nxe5, returning some material directly. It then further recommends 9.Re1 d6 10.dxe5 dxe5 11.Bf4 Bg4 12.Qd2 Rd8 13.Qc3 Qc6 14.Qxc6 Bxc6 15.Bxe5 Bd6 where White has a pawn and better pawn structure as (insufficient) compensation for his sacrificed piece.

9.Qf3+ Ke7 

It is hard to believe, with Black two pieces ahead, but this move, as opposed to the saving 9...Kg8, signals "Game Over".

It is time for White to hunt the enemy King.

10.Bg5+ Ke6 

The alternative 10...Nf6 allows White to grab material with 11.exf6+ Kf7 12.fxg7+ Kxg7 13.Bf6+ Kg8 14.Qg3+ Qg6 15.Qb3+  (with the idea of moving Black's King away from protecting his Rook) Qf7 16.Qxg7+ Kxf7 17.Bxh8 when White would be up the exchange and a couple of pawns. The Bishop will escape.

11.c4 Nxd4 

This leads to checkmate.

Black's best was to give back a piece with 11...Nce7 12.cxd5 Nxd5. Then Stockfish 13 has an interesting Queen maneuver for White: 13.Qh3+ Kf7 14.Qh5+ g6 15.Qf3+ Kg8 16.Qxd5+ when the first player has recovered his sacrificed material.

The point of the Queen's efforts can be seen by comparing them to 13.Nc3 c6 14.Nxd5 cxd5 when White has an edge, despite being behind in material, because of the unsafe enemy King. Once the point f6 has been weakened - 14.Qh5+ g6 - then it becomes extra dangerous for Black to move his King to f6 - e.g. 15.Qf3+ Ke6 16.Nc3 when the Knight exchange is forced 16...Nxc3 17.bxc3 and the only move to prevent checkmate would then be 17...d5, although lines of attack would open after 18.exd6 e.p.

That seems like a lot to look at, but it is helpful to have a good understanding of the attacking position.

12.cxd5+ Kxe5 13.Re1+ Ne2+

Or 13...Kd6 14.Bf4+ Kc5 15.Qc3+ Kxd5 16.Qa5+ b5 17.Nc3+ Kc4 18.b3+ Kc5 19.Rxe8 Bb7 20.Na4+ Kd5 21.Re5+ Kd6 22.Qb4+ Kc6 23.Qc3+ Kd6 24.Qc5# 

14.Rxe2+ Kd6 15.Qa3+ 

Brutal. White doesn't even bother to win the Queen.

15...Kxd5 16.Nc3+ Kc6 17.Qa4+ b5 18.Qxb5+ Kd6 19.Rd1 checkmate

BSJG: Can He Do That??

Watching a player who has mastered bullet games - one minute on the clock, with no increment - it is easy to believe that just about any move is playable at that time control. It is an interesting science to balance unexpectedness with strength in moves and come out with a win.

angelcamina - Gab20

1 0 bullet, lichess.org, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 

The Blackburne Shilling Gambit.

4.Bxf7+ 

The Blackburne Shilling Jerome Gambit.

Often Black, having unleashed an opening surprise, is not ready to face one by White.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Ke6 6.Qh5 Qf6 

A little bit stronger was 6...Nf6, as in angelcamina - rabirabi, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 13),  angelcamina - shahramkhoshseffat, lichess.org, 2019 (1-0, 13) and angelcamina - luquitas2018, lichess.org, 2020 (1-0, 21). 

7.Qe8+  

Shocking - and I think that is the idea behind the move. "Objectively" it is bad, but Black has to recover and analyze, all while the clock is ticking.

Instead, 7.Ng4 worked in angelcamina - regullele, lichess.org, 2020, (1-0, 16). 

7...Be7 8.Nd3 

White withdrew his Queen with 8.Qh5 in angelcamina - Skhokho1507, lichess.org, 2019, (1-0, 12). 

8...Nxc2+ 

In the BSJG, sometimes this fork is a distraction from Black's proper course of play, and should not be essayed; sometimes, however, it gains useful material.

In this case? It is quite playable, and increases Black's advantage. I wonder, though, how much time he spent deciding on the move.

9.Kd1 Nxa1 10.Qh5 c6 

White was threatening mate.

11.Nc3 Kd6 

Ouch.

This brings to mind the quote from Alexander Alekhine

The fact that a player is very short of time is, to my mind, as little to be considered an excuse as, for instance, the statement of the law-breaker that he was drunk at the time he committed the crime. 

12.e5+ Qxe5 13.Nxe5 

(Or capture with the Queen.)

l3...g6 14.Nxg6 Nf6 15.Qe5 checkmate

Jerome Gambit: Sometimes Things Fall Apart

Finding a successful defense to the Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) usually takes more than a spur-of-the-moment construction. Sometimes these homemade protections fall apart under pressure. Witness the following game where White's attack crushes his opponent.

petyrseta - al_bino

iPhone, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 

7.f4 Bd6 

Interesting, and somewhat rare. Black would do better with 7...Qf6.

8.Qf5+ 

The right idea. There are a couple of games in The Database where 8.d4 was tried, but that falls to 8...Nf7 9.e5 Ke7 10.O-O Kf8 11.exd6 Nxd6 where Black has a piece for a pawn, and White will have to work to make something of his position. (He can always take hope in the fact that Black's Knight blocks his pawn which blocks his Bishop which hems in his Rook... a typical defender failing.)

Instead, 8.fxe5 Bxe5 9.Qf5+ is also good for White, but not as strong as the text.

8...Ke7 9.fxe5 Bc5 

Where to put the Bishop?

The move played is probably best, but ultimately not a solution, because Black has moved beyond that already.

If instead 9...Bb4 things begin to look dangerous for Black after 10.O-O, and 10...Nh6 11.Qg5+ Ke8 12.Qh5+ g6 13.Qxh6 drops a piece in a humorous way.  

10.d4 

White both threatens the Bishop and threatens 11.Bg5+.

10...Bb6  

The strongest counter was 10...d6, attacking White's Queen, when 11.Bg5+ Ke8 12.e6 Nf6 13.dxc5 wins the poor Bishop and 13...Qe7 14.cxd6 Qxe6 15. Bxf6 Qxf5 16.exf5 gxf6 17.dxc7 Bxf5 18.O-O Bg6 would lead to a much simplified game, still in White's favor.

Of course 10...Bxd4 would be met by 11.Bg5+  when both 11...Ke8 12.Bxd8 and 11...Nf6 12.Bxf6+ would be disastrous for the defender. 

11.Bg5+ Nf6  

12.exf6+ gxf6 13.Bxf6+ Kd6 14.Bxd8 Rxd8 Black resigned

It is checkmate on the move.

Jerome Gambit: Take It Seriously

The Jerome Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+) does not get a lot of respect, and, as a "refuted" opening, it probably does not deserve much.

Nonetheless, it is important for players to take it seriously. (If you know the refutation, play it.)

There are times and ways where the Jerome Gambit can be quite dangerous, and many defenders have discovered that dismissal, inattention, overconfidence and general chess sleepwalking can easily lead to disaster.

Still, there are those who do not heed the warnings.

Wall, Bill - Guest558550

PlayChess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ 

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ 

6...Ng6 7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qa3

Bill likes to experiment. Guess who was the only other Jerome Gambiteer, according to The Database, to play this move? 

It is quite possible that White's Queen's deployment far from the center encouraged Black's next move - or maybe the defender misjudged his opponent, based on the "refuted" opening and the "obviously bad" placement of Her Majesty.

9...Ne5 

Not really an improvement over 9...Nf6 in Wall,B - Guest2360621,  2013, (1-0, 37).

I am reminded again of the Joker's taunt to Batman,"Come on. Hit me."

10.d4 Nc4 

Taking it all a bit too casually. 

11.Qa4+ Bd7 12.Qxc4 Ne7 

White not only has a 2-pawn advantage, he has the better pawn center and easy play. Black, in the meantime, has a King who can not castle out of danger.

13.Nc3 c6 14.Bf4 d5 15.exd5 cxd5 16.Nxd5 Nxd5 17.Qxd5 Qb6

18.O-O-O Be6 19.Qg5 g6 20.d5 Black resigned

Black's position is grim, and it is likely that it now dawned on him that moving his Bishop would allow White to play a Rook to e1, with check and checkmate to follow.

Jerome Gambit: Extra Material to What End?

If you have the advantage in material in your game, you can use the extra piece or pieces to attack or counterattack - our you can return some of it to blunt the aggression of your opponent. 

The following game seems to blend the opening thoughts of the previous blog post (see "Jerome Gambit: Borrowed") with a contribution to the the one a day earlier (see "Jerome Gambit: Artificial Wha?").

Black is overwhelmed by his opponent because he can not or will not or doesn't know that he needs to give back some of his gains in exchange for some safety.

Guest6049406280 - Guest0484608109

10 0 blitz, Chess.com, 2021

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 

The Two Knights Defense.

4.Bxf7+ 

Playing the sacrifice anyhow.

4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ 

This feels a bit like the Halloween Gambit, as well.

5...Nxe5 6.d4 Nc6 7.e5 

Here we go. How should Black respond?

A cold-blooded computer might suggest 7...Ng8, because it assesses that White has nothing. 

A warm-blooded club player might try something like 7...d6, because with 2 extra pieces 8.exf6 Qxf6 seems safe enough.

In the game, Black wants to be more active. 

Remember, this is a 10 minute blitz game, so neither player can think too deeply. 

7...Ne4 8.Qf3+ Nf6 9.Be3 

Now what?

9...Kg8 

Reasonable.

10.O-O Ne8 

Oh, no.

A moment ago he was willing to return a piece, and 10...d6 was a great and "scientific" idea.

Clinging to extra material. Oddly enough, this is why we can't have good things.

11.Qd5 checkmate

Ow.